Senate Votes Wednesday on Effort to Reinstate 'Net Neutrality' Rules

According to Reuters (May 14, Shepardson), the U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote on Wednesday on whether to reverse a decision by the White House to roll back Obama-era "net neutrality" rules. Supporters of keeping the 2015 open-Internet rules have the backing of 50 U.S. senators, including Susan Collins (R-Maine). With the absence of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) due to ill health, the Democrats believe they will win by a 50-49 vote. "The effort still faces an uphill battle," notes the wire service. "It is uncertain if the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives will even vote on the issue and the White House backs the FCC rules approved last December." The FCC repealed rules set under President Obama that prohibited providers from blocking or slowing down access to content or charging consumers more for certain content.